Bone Weathering in a Periglacial Environment: The Tayara Site (KbFk-7), Qikirtaq Island, Nunavik (Canada)

Bone weathering analysis of the Palaeoeskimo Tayara site (Qikirtaq Island, Nunavik, Canada) documents site taphonomy in the Arctic periglacial environment. Like a majority of sites in the eastern Canadian Arctic, Tayara has a faunal assemblage dominated by marine mammals (seal, walrus, and beluga whale) and some terrestrial mammals (caribou, fox, and bear). Statistical and spatial analyses of five weathering stages reveal that large mammal bone preservation is generally good and does not seem to be influenced by taxonomic and skeletal differences. The good preservation of the faunal assemblage seems to have been favored by the burial of bones and their incorporation into the active layer, which suggests only limited mechanical deterioration (i.e., freeze-thaw or wet-dry cycles, or both) before or at the time of burial. Burial depth partly explains the degree of bone weathering. Indeed, the well-preserved bones are found mainly where burial is associated with thicker overlying sediments. This implies rapid bone burial with a low degree of exposure to temperature changes and atmospheric processes. However, analysis also shows the presence of highly weathered bones where burial is associated with thicker overlying sediments. Consequently, differential bone depth probably does not explain all bone-weathering variability within the site. These results show the importance of examining bone weathering before any archaeozoological and paleoethnographic interpretations.L’analyse méthodique de la météorisation osseuse des restes fauniques du site paléoesquimau de Tayara (île Qikirtaq, Nunavik, Canada) documente la taphonomie d’un site archéologique en contexte périglaciaire arctique. Comme dans la plupart des sites arctiques de l’Est canadien, l’assemblage faunique de Tayara est dominé par des mammifères marins (phoque, morse et béluga) plus quelques mammifères terrestres (caribou, renard et ours). Les analyses statistiques et spatiales selon cinq stades d’altération reconnus montrent une bonne conservation des restes osseux des grands vertébrés, qui ne semble pas être influencée par les différences taxonomiques et squelettiques. La bonne conservation de l’assemblage osseux semble avoir été favorisée par l’enfouissement des ossements et leur incorporation dans la couche active. Ceci suggère une détérioration mécanique pré- et synenfouissement limitée (i.e., cycles gel-dégel et/ou d’hydratation-dessiccation). La profondeur d’enfouissement explique en partie le degré de préservation des ossements. En effet, les ossements les mieux conservés se rencontrent principalement dans les zones où les sédiments de recouvrement sont les plus épais. Ceci implique un enfouissement rapide ainsi qu’un faible degré d’exposition des ossements aux changements de température et aux processus atmosphériques. Les analyses montrent aussi la présence de quelques os fortement détériorés situés dans les zones où les sédiments sont les plus épais. De ce fait, la profondeur différentielle des ossements n’explique probablement pas toute la variabilité de la conservation osseuse dans le site. Ces résultats illustrent ainsi l’importance d’une étude taphonomique préalable sur la conservation d’un assemblage faunique avant toute interprétation archéozoologique et palethnographique

Banquets, sacrifices et offrandes : une étude des restes fauniques de la « Chapelle d’Obodas » (Jabal Numayr, Pétra, Jordanie)

La « Chapelle d’Obodas », à Pétra, est un complexe religieux nabatéen qui se caractérise par la présence de nombreuses structures rupestres et construites, disposées autour d’un grand triclinium rupestre qui donne son nom au site. Les nombreux restes osseux retrouvés, dispersés sur l’ensemble du site, que ce soit dans les diverses salles de banquets (triclinium, biclinium) ou dans les zones de circulation, présentent toutes les caractéristiques de rejets alimentaires. La majorité des ossements de ces dépôts témoigne d’une consommation de viande de mouton/chèvre. Leur état de fragmentation, les traces de brûlures et de découpes révèlent un processus de boucherie menant de l’animal sur pied à la préparation des mets. S’ils représentent bien des restes de banquets, la question des offrandes et du sacrifice dans le monde nabatéen reste ouverte.The so-called “Obodas Chapel” in Petra is a Nabataean religious complex, consisting of several rock-cut and built structures disposed around a large, main rock-cut triclinium which give its name to the site. Numerous animal bone remains were found, scattered throughout the site, in and around the various banquet rooms (triclinium, biclinium), having all the characteristics of food leftovers. The majority of the bones from these deposits are related to sheep/goat meat consumption. Their state of fragmentation, burning traces and cut marks are related to the different aspects of the butchery, from living animals to food preparation. The question of offerings and sacrifices in the Nabataean world is discussed."معبد عبادة" في البتراء هو مجمع ديني نبطي يتميز بوجود العديد من البنى الصخرية والمشيدة, المرتبة حول قاعة مآدب ضخمة ثلاثية المصاطب (تريكلينيوم) محفورة في الصخر تعطي اسمها للموقع. تبرز بقايا العظام العديدة المعثور عليها مبعثرة فوق مجمل أرض الموقع, سواء في مختلف قاعات المآدب (ثلاثية المصاطب "تريكلينيوم", ثنائية المصاطب "بيكلينيوم") أو في نطاقات التنقل (الممرات), جميع خصائص فضلات الأطعمة المرمية. وتشهد غالبية عظام مكبات الفضلات هذه على استهلاك لحم الضأن/الماعز. تكشف حالتها المتكسرة, وآثار الحرق والقطع عن عملية تقطيع لحوم تبدأ بالحيوان الحي وتنتهي بإعداد الطعام. إذا كانت تمثل تماماً بقايا المآدب, فإن مسألة التقدمات والأضحية في العالم النبطي تبقى مفتوحة

Des ossements dans les citernesLes exemples de Dharih (Jordanie) et de Qalhāt (Oman)

Éléments essentiels des villes et villages au Moyen-Orient durant les époques antique et médiévale, les citernes se transforment rapidement en dépotoirs après leur abandon, devenant ainsi de véritables garde-mémoire des activités économiques. Cet article présente et discute deux assemblages fauniques issus de citernes, la grande citerne du sanctuaire antique de Dharih en Jordanie, réutilisée par un village antique tardif et proto-islamique, et la citerne B2 de la ville médiévale de Qalhāt en Oman.Essential elements of towns and villages in the Middle East during Late Antiquity and Medieval times, the cisterns are rapidly converted into dumps after their abandonment, becoming real memory storage of the economic activities. This article aims to study and discuss two faunal assemblages from cisterns, the large cistern of Dharih ancient sanctuary in Jordan, reused by a Late Antiquity and proto-Islamic village, and the cistern B2 of the Medieval city of Qalhāt in Oman.من العناصر الأساسية للقُرى والمدن في الشرق الأوسط خلال العصور القديمة والوسيطة، الصهاريج التي تحوّلت وبشكلٍ سريع بعد هجرها إلى مزابل، وأصبحت أيضاً مخزن ذكريات حقيقي للنشاطات الإقتصادية . يُظهر هذا المقال ويناقش تجمُعَين لعظام حيوانية وُجدت في صهريجين، الخزّان الكبير لحرم المعبد القديم في الذريح في الأردن، أُعيد استعماله من قِبل قرية تعود لفترة العصور القديمة المتأخرة وفجر الإسلام، والخزّان B2 للمدينة القروسطية في قلهات في عُما

Deciphering the taphonomic history of an Upper Paleolithic faunal assemblage from Zouhrah Cave/El Harhoura 1, Morocco

Overlap in the use of caves between hominids and animals has frequently been documented in the prehistoric record. In the Maghreb, Zouhrah Cave, also called El Harhoura 1 (Témara, Morocco), has yielded a few Aterian lithic tools and an abundance of fauna. This faunal assemblage is dominated by gazelles (41% of identified remains) and many carnivore species, including remains of both spotted and striped hyena. Extensive porcupine activity is also evident. The observation of numerous coprolites, in combination with the study of ungulate mortality profiles, skeletal element representation and pattern of bone modifications, all demonstrate that the cave functioned more as a carnivore den than an anthropogenic site even during the Neolithic. Our analysis reveals that the Zouhrah Cave faunal assemblage was created by multiple agents: human, hyena and porcupine. We suggest that this may be a typical signature for Upper Pleistocene cave sites in the Mediterranean region.L’utilisation alternée des grottes par les hominidés et les carnivores est fréquemment documentée dans la littérature préhistorique. Dans le Maghreb, la grotte Zouhrah, appelée aussi El Harhoura 1 (Témara, Maroc), a livré une faible industrie lithique appartenant à l’Atérien et une faune abondante dominée par les gazelles (41 % de restes identifiés) et de nombreuses espèces de carnivores, dont l’hyène tachetée et l’hyène rayée. La présence de nombreux coprolithes et les résultats des études sur les profils de mortalité, de représentation squelettiques et des modifications osseuses, sont autant d’indices suggérant que la grotte a plus fonctionné comme un repaire de carnivores qu’un site archéologique, y compris au Néolithique. Notre analyse révèle que l’origine de l’assemblage osseux de la grotte Zouhrah est le fait de multiples agents, l’homme, l’hyène et les porcs-épics, représentant une signature typique et propre du Paléolithique supérieur méditerranéen

Second season of the Saudi-French mission in al-Yamāma, al-Kharj area (11 November - 18 December 2012)

Report of the archaeological, geophysical, archaeozoological and topographical activities of the French-Saudi mission in the oasis of al-Kharj, 80 km South of Riyadh, in the Central Province of Saudi Arabia carried out from November 11 to December 18 2012. It includes chapters on: - The geographic and historical setting - Description on the Registration system - Report of the exploration of the site of al-Yamāma (geophysical survey, topographical survey, archaeological sounding, , excavation of a mosque, zooarchaeological study, restoration process) and a geomorphological study of al-Kharj area

Exploitation de la marmotte dans le niveau Magdalénien de La Chênelaz (Hostiaz, Ain, France)

Bien qu’occasionnelle, l’exploitation de la marmotte à but alimentaire ou artisanal (travail des fourrures), a été bien documentée en Europe notamment dans les Alpes au cours des temps préhistoriques. C’est aussi le cas sur les hauts plateaux jurassiens qui se caractérisent par des conditions géomorphologiques et écologiques spécifiques permettant au Magdalénien la mise en place de systèmes de subsistance saisonniers. Cet article présente une étude archéozoologique (représentation squelettique, profil de mortalité, saisonnalité d’abattage, traces de découpe) des restes de marmottes de la grotte de la Chênelaz dans le sud du Jura (Hostiaz, Ain) montrant ainsi la place de cet animal dans l’économie locale au Magdalénien.Although occasional, the exploitation of the marmot for food, but also for fur, has been well documented in Europe especially in the Alps during prehistoric times. This is also the case in the Jura highlands, which are characterized by specific morphological and ecological conditions that make it possible for the Magdalenian to set up a seasonal subsistence system. This article presents an archaeozoological study (skeletal representation, mortality profile, slaughter season, butchery marks) of the marmot remains from the Chênelaz cave in the Jura (Hostiaz, Ain) thus showing the important place of this animal in the local economy during the Magdalenian

Preliminary report of the First season of the Saudi-French mission in al-Yamāma. Al-Kharj area (20 September-21 October 2011)

Report of the archaeological, geophysical, archaeozoological and topographical activities of the French-Saudi mission in the oasis of al-Kharj, 80 km South of Riyadh, in the Central Province of Saudi Arabia carried out from September 20th to October 21st 2011. It includes chapters on: - The geographic and historical setting - The present issues for a study of al-Kharj area - An historiography of the exploration of al-Kharj area - Description on the Registration system - Details of the Historical survey of the oasis - Report of the exploration of the site of al-Yamāma (geophysical survey, topographical survey, archaeological sounding, zooarchaeological study) - Ceramic study An abstract in Arabic is available at the end of the report

A Neanderthal from the Central Western Zagros, Iran. Structural reassessment of the Wezmeh 1 maxillary premolar

Wezmeh Cave, in the Kermanshah region of Central Western Zagros, Iran, produced a Late Pleistocene faunal assemblage rich in carnivorans along with a human right maxillary premolar, Wezmeh 1, an unerupted tooth from an 8 ± 2 year-old individual. Uranium-series analyses of the fauna by alpha spectrometry provided age estimates between 70 and 11 ka. Crown dimensions place the tooth specimen at the upper limits of Late Pleistocene human ranges of variation. Wezmeh 1 metameric position (most likely a P3) remains uncertain and only its surficial morphology has been described so far. Accordingly, we used micro-focus X-ray tomography (12.5 μm isotropic voxel size) to reassess the metameric position and taxonomic attribution of this specimen. We investigated its endostructural features and quantified crown tissue proportions. Topographic maps of enamel thickness (ET) distribution were also generated, and semilandmark-based geometric morphometric analyses of the enamel-dentine junction (EDJ) were performed. We compared Wezmeh 1 with unworn/slightly-moderately worn P3 and P4 of European Neanderthals, Middle Paleolithic modern humans from Qafzeh, an Upper Paleolithic premolar, and Holocene humans. The results confirm that Wezmeh 1 represents a P3. Based on its internal conformation and especially EDJ shape, Wezmeh 1 aligns closely with Neanderthals and is distinct from the fossil and extant modern human pattern of our comparative samples. Wezmeh 1 is thus the first direct evidence of Neanderthal presence on the western margin of the Iranian Plateau

Hominin reactions to herbivore distribution in the Lower Palaeolithic of the Southern Levant

We explore the relationship between the edaphic potential of soils and the mineral properties of the underlying geology as a means of mapping the differential productivity of different areas of the Pleistocene landscape for large herbivores. These factors strongly control the health of grazing animals irrespective of the particular types of vegetation growing on them, but they have generally been neglected in palaeoanthropological studies in favour of a more general emphasis on water and vegetation, which provide an incomplete picture. Taking the Carmel-Galilee-Golan region as an example, we show how an understanding of edaphic potential provides insight into how animals might have exploited the environment. In order to simplify the analysis, we concentrate on the Lower Palaeolithic period and the very large animals that dominate the archaeofaunal assemblages of this period. Topography and the ability of soils to retain water also contribute to the differential productivity and accessibility of different regions and to patterns of seasonal movements of the animals, which are essential to ensure a supply of healthy fodder throughout the year, especially for large animals such as elephants, which require substantial regions of good grazing and browsing. Other animals migrating in groups have similar needs. The complex topography of the Southern Levant with frequent sudden and severe changes in gradient, and a wide variety of landforms including rocky outcrops, cliffs, gorges, and ridges, places major limits on these patterns of seasonal movements. We develop methods of mapping these variables, based on the geology and our substantial field experience, in order to create a framework of landscape variation that can be compared with the locations and contents of archaeological sites to suggest ways in which early hominins used the variable features of the landscape to target animal prey, and we extend the analysis to the consideration of smaller mammals that were exploited more intensively after the disappearance of the elephants. We consider some of the ways in which this regional-scale approach can be further tested and refined, and advocate the development of such studies as an essential contribution to understanding the wider pattern of hominin dispersal

Documenting the initial appearance of domestic cattle in the Eastern Fertile Crescent (northern Iraq and western Iran)

In this paper we address the timing of and mechanisms for the appearance of domestic cattle in the Eastern Fertile Crescent (EFC) region of SW Asia through the analysis of new and previously published species abundance and biometric data from 86 archaeofaunal assemblages. We find that Bos exploitation was a minor component of animal economies in the EFC in the late Pleistocene and early Holocene but increased dramatically in the sixth millennium BC. Moreover, biometric data indicate that small-sized Bos, likely representing domesticates, appear suddenly in the region without any transitional forms in the early to mid sixth millennium BC. This suggests that domestic cattle were imported into the EFC, possibly associated with the spread of the Halaf archaeological culture, several millennia after they first appear in the neighboring northern Levant